Schipske Calls for Contract Suspension to Develop Civic Center RFP

Long Beach – On Feb. 6, District 5 Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske announced that she agendized an item for the Feb. 11 Long Beach City Council meeting, calling for the suspension of the contract to develop a request for proposals on a new city hall and main library so that the next Council can decide whether or not to move forward.

On Dec. 3, 2013, the city council, on an 8-1 vote, approved a contract with Arup North American Limited. The contract was in the annual amount of $987,798, plus a 10 percent contingency of $98,780, for a total of $1,086,578 for financial, architectural and community outreach consultant services related to a request for proposals for a new Civic Center. The contract would have two optional one-year renewals and a $1,086,578 increase in appropriations in the Civic Center Fund in the Public Works Department from fund balance.

“I am the only council member who has opposed this project to tear down and build a new city hall and main library because it is fiscally irresponsible that city management did not send out a formal request for bids on retrofitting and repurposing buildings that are only 37 years old,” Schipske said in a statement. “No other city in California has torn down their city hall because of the need to make it seismically safe.

“I also opposed this project because it was rushed through city council without any serious discussion of the financial impact of tearing down and rebuilding the Civic Center. Instead, the city now is spending a million dollars on a consultant who will put together the details of a ‘request for proposals’ for developers and finance experts.”